Black Mountain (hill) explained

Black Mountain
Elevation M:703.6
Prominence M:155
Parent Peak:Waun Fach
Listing:Marilyn, Hewitt, County Top, Nuttall
Location:Herefordshire, England / Brecknockshire, Wales
Range:Black Mountains
Map:Wales
Label Position:bottom
Coordinates:52.0085°N -3.0855°W
Grid Ref Uk:SO255350
Topo:OS Landranger 161
Easiest Route:The Cat's Back
Other Name:Twyn Llech (Welsh)

The Black Mountain (Welsh: '''Twyn Llech'''), is a mountain in the Black Mountains. It is the only Marilyn to fall exactly on the WelshEnglish border, Powys and Herefordshire. Its parent peak, Waun Fach, lies to the west.

Access

The Black Mountain is the highest point on Hatterrall Ridge. Offa's Dyke Path passes along the ridge, more or less from south to north. A steeper path leads to the summit from near the former youth hostel in the Vale of Ewyas to the west. The summit is unmarked and, because of the very shallow gradients along the summit ridge, virtually impossible to determine in situ. Open access to all the moorland here means that deviation from the paths is allowed. The ground is peaty and normally very wet even in good weather, especially on the highest ground.

It is the highest summit in England south of Great Whernside in the Yorkshire Dales,[1] even though higher neighbours are very close by in Wales. However, some mountain lists, such as the Nuttalls, consider the mountain belongs only to Wales, due to the Black Mountains range being principally a Welsh massif.[2]

Geology

The mountain is composed of sandstones and mudstones of the Senni Formation of the Old Red Sandstone which is of Devonian age. The shape of the Vale of Ewyas to the south and west of the Hatterall ridge strongly suggests that it was occupied by a glacier during at least one ice age, though not perhaps during the last ice age.[3] The plateau was probably ice-free.

Notes and References

  1. See list at Web site: England's Highest Mountains . walkingenglishman.com . 20 March 2016. Also see the corresponding list for Wales (which includes Black Mountain, 703m). Of the summits above 703m that are listed, all have a grid reference at least as far north as that of Great Whernside, SE002739, or are wholly in Wales.
  2. Book: Nuttall . John . Nuttall . Ann . 1999 . The Mountains of England & Wales – Volume 1: Wales . 2nd . Milnthorpe, Cumbria . Cicerone . 1-85284-304-7 .
  3. Book: Humpage . J. A. . Thomas . G. S. P. . Carr . S. J. . etal . Quaternary of the Brecon Beacons: a field guide . 2007 . Quaternary Research Association . 184 .